1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to air turbines installed on a roof to vent hot air. Air turbines are designed to spin freely in the wind, exiting hot air from attics. In the winter, when the temperature has dropped, warm air is still exhausted from the house, or other structure, through the air turbine. Most people leave the turbines open year round, wasting fuel and money or they climb on the roof and tie a plastic bag over the turbine, which is dangerous. This invention solves the problem, saving heating and cooling costs.
2. Prior Art
Several patents have described complicated and expensive methods for closing an air tubine when it is desired to shut off the flow of air therethrough. These methods are so expensive and complicated that most homeowners will simply tie a plastic bag around the turbine on the roof to close off the air flow.
For instance in Kolt""s U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,415, there is described an automatic temperature and pressure responsive damper assembly. Kolt""s assembly requires a temperature detection device and a temperature responsive drive assembly. Power is required to operate the device.
Hirschman, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,663,199, uses a plurality of louvers or shutters adapted to be swung into a horizontal position in which they overlap and engage each other, page 4, lines 39-45. This requires pivotal bearings on each shutter, page 4, lines 60-61, filling blocks on the supporting ring, pivot pins and grooved edges on the shutters, Page 4 lines 73-95. This is a very complex system and expensive to manufacture.
To utilize the systems of Kolt or Hirschman, one would have to remove the exisiting turbines and completely replace them with the new turbines.
Applicant""s invention comprises a damper device that works as a valve to eliminate air flow from turbines presently installed on any roof. The existing turbines may be left in place, reducing the cost tremendously.
The device of this invention comprises a push-pull remote mounted cable that controls a damper cover or flap, adapted to open or close air access between the turbine and the structure on which it is mounted. The seal vent of this invention clips onto the existing turbine. The cover flap is adjustable to any position between all the way open and all the way closed. It may be added to any existing turbine on any roof.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system to open and close the airflow from a roof mounted turbine.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which may be added to any exising turbine now installed on any roof on any structure.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a device which is easy to install, easy. to operate and inexpensive to produce.